Mickey and the Magical Map

This 22-minute live musical show features the sorcerer Yen Sid (spell it backward) showing his apprentice Mickey Mouse a magical map of the world, which can take you to anywhere imaginable. But when Mickey tries to finish the map by painting its one blank spot, well, something goes terribly amiss, of course.

The show features several classic Disney songs, including:- "Journey to Imagination" written for this show- "I Wan'na Be Like You" from Jungle Book- "Just Around the River Bend" from Pocahontas- "Reflection" from Mulan- "I See the Light" from Tangled- "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid- "Hawaiian Roller Coaster" from Llio & Stitch- "Dig a Little Deeper" from The Princess & the Frog

The show debuted May 25, 2013 and plays in the 1,800-seat Fantasyland Theater.

Mickey and the Magical Map is an incoherent jumble with futile attempts to capture real Disney magic. It starts out with a punch-you-in-the-face, spelled out song about "a world of dreams and imagination." It's repetitive, it's annoying, and it's very modern. The ensemble dancers in this show are apparently only able to do Disney-fied hip hop dance steps. The weak attempt at cohesion then comes in on the projection screens and starts flying Mickey around to different locations where characters perform songs. The non-plot does come back in the end to try to tie up the show. Mickey and the Magical Map is not very well-written, but it isn't painful to watch. If you can ignore the awful ensemble choreography, some of the musical numbers are fun to watch if you happen to see good performers, and are able to ignore the hip hop-style beats (I'm talking about you, King Louie number). However, compared to other Disney stage performances like Fantasmic, or anything in Tokyo, Mickey and the Magical Map falls flat on its face. Don't see it unless you have lots of time to waste.

The show itself is an amalgamation of classic Disney songs, combined with a very cool magical map - a series of video screens that uses various images to enhance and advance the story. We liked Mickey and the Magical Map quite a bit, especially for the part when Pocahontas, Mulan, and Rapunzel were on stage at the same time – that scene was simply breathtaking. One note about the show: the sound was rock-concert loud, which I enjoyed, but be aware if you have sensitive ears.

I enjoyed this show enough to watch it 10 times since it opened, but that's only because I love live dancing and singing. The cast members are always on point and the choreography is done very well.

However, the show's storyline isn't the greatest and the character model used for Yen Sid looks like he came out of a video game from 1997. Also, Mickey on screen looks extremely awkward in his movements, and the lighting is off. I hate to nit pick, but there's even a moment where the screen's video stutters each and every time I've watched. I expected more from Disney in 2013 when it comes to technology.

The Jungle Book section and King Louie's performance are the best. I could watch that scene over and over again as the trumpet player and the dancer in the King Louie suit are excellent performers. And as much as I love Lilo and Stitch as well as the dance number for that movie's music, it felt odd without an on stage Lilo or Stitch.

[edit] They finally added Stitch and it definitely works in the show! His personality shines in the dance routine.

It is a nice show and its pleasant to have a live show back at Disneyland. The story is almost non-existant, so no Fantasmic or Mickey's PhilharMagic type of tale. The singing and dancing though is very well done. The song selection is interesting though. They have decided to skip some of the more well-known tunes, in exchange for some lesser known or newer songs.

It's a wafer-thin premise, a flimsy excuse to sing some pieces from Disney musicals, but Disneyland's performers execute it flawlessly, with impressive dancing and singing that should put a smile on the faces of even the most curmudgeonly visitors.